Predictive value of plasma and peritoneal creatine kinase in horses with strangulating intestinal lesions.

This research investigates the capability of plasma and peritoneal creatine kinase (CK) in predicting the presence of a strangulating lesion in horses suffering from colic, revealing that peritoneal CK concentration effectively indicates the presence of such a lesion, potentially speeding up diagnosis and treatment.

Research Background and Methodology

• The purpose of the research was to find out if plasma and peritoneal creatine kinase (CK) could accurately indicate a strangulating lesion in horses presented with colic.
• The study was prospective and clinical in nature, involving ten healthy control horses and 61 clinical colic horses for study and comparison.
• The process involved measuring creatine kinase activity in the peritoneal fluid and plasma of all participating horses. Of them, 40 horses had non-strangulating lesions and 21 had strangulating lesions.
• Other comprehensive data such as records of other blood and peritoneal fluid variables, signalment, physical examination results, the outcome of the horses, any requirement for surgery, and details regarding lesion location and type were retrieved from the medical records of the colic horses.

Results of the Study

• The study pointed towards an optimal peritoneal CK cutoff level of 16 IU/L. At this level, the sensitivity and specificity of predicting a strangulating lesion were 95.2% and 84.6% respectively. In simpler terms, the accuracy of the prediction was fairly high with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 76.9% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 97%.
• As far as peritoneal lactate levels are concerned, a cutoff level of 3.75 mmol/L demonstrated a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 92%, with a PPV of 85% and NPV of 90% for predicting a strangulating lesion.

Conclusions from the Research

• The research concluded that the measurement of peritoneal CK concentration could serve as a sensitive indicator of strangulating lesions in horses presented with colic. On the other hand, the peritoneal lactate concentration worked as a more specific indicator.
• The study thus suggested that CK measurement in peritoneal fluid could potentially assist the clinical case presentation, accelerating the diagnosis and definitive treatment of horses with strangulating intestinal lesions, and hence improving their treatment outcomes.